Stink bugs are fierce prehistoric looking bugs. Some are
indeed quite fierce and others simply stink more than they bite! In many parts of the
world including their native range of China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan the brown
marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys)
is considered an agricultural pest. Yet other genera of stink bugs,
specifically the Podisus nigrispinus
(Dallas), are considered an important biological control agent for other insect
pests in the cotton, soybean, tomato, corn, and kale fields.

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The predatory Podisus
nigrispinus (Dallas) feeds primarily on insect larvae and was originally
reared and released in Brazil to control lepidopterous larvae, which were
defoliating Eucalyptus trees.

"Our goal was to evaluate the effect of low
temperatures on the biological characteristics of P. nigrispinus, with the aim of optimizing mass-rearing programs
for this potential biological control agent," the authors wrote. "The
successful storage of eggs at a low temperature is important for the use of
natural enemies in pest control programs, as it allows greater flexibility in
the mass-rearing process. It also increases the availability of insects for
release in the field at the earliest opportunity."

The researchers identifies 15 degrees Celsius as the
optimum storage temperature for P.
nigrispinus eggs, noting that the eggs could be stored for up to 17 days
without significantly affecting most of the biological characteristics.

"Our results suggest that low temperatures can be
used to store eggs for mass rearing of this potential biological control
agent," the authors write. "This would allow P. nigrispinus to be used in augmentative releases that could be
coordinated with pest outbreaks in the field."